1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device, and, more particularly, to a liquid crystal display (LCD).
2. Description of the Related Art
Liquid crystal displays (LCD), which are one of the most widely used flat panel display devices, include two display panels with field-generating electrodes such as pixel and common electrodes mounted thereon, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the two display panels. An LCD generates an electric field in a liquid crystal layer by applying voltages to field-generating electrodes, and thus determines the alignment of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer and controls the polarization of incident light, thereby displaying an image.
The use of a vertically aligned (VA) mode LCD has become widespread because a VA mode LCD gives a high contrast ratio and a wide reference viewing angle. In a VA mode LCD, liquid crystal molecules are aligned perpendicularly to upper and lower display panels until an electric field is applied. The reference viewing angle refers to a viewing angle with a contrast ratio of 1:10, or an inter-gray luminance inversion limit angle.
In order to realize a wide viewing angle, cut portions or protrusions may be formed at field-generating electrodes of a VA mode LCD. Since the direction of the inclination of liquid crystal molecules is determined by such cut portions or protrusions, the direction of the inclination of the liquid crystal molecules can be appropriately altered, thereby widening the reference viewing angle.
However, the lateral side of a VA mode LCD has poor visibility compared to its front side. For example, in the case of a patterned vertically aligned (PVA) mode LCD having cut portions, the luminance becomes higher toward either lateral side of a PVA mode LCD. In some cases, the luminance difference between high grayscale levels disappears and an image displayed by a PVA mode LCD is distorted.